Hi, I am a total newbie, so pardon my lack of knowledge. But our office's goal is essentially to have a NAS that is accessible via a hardwired network through a switch, but also have the capability of accessing the NAS remotely via internet. Our internet service is already setup with a static ip since we were planning on installing a server, but we have decided to just go with a NAS system.

My first question is do we still need a static ip internet service if all we're doing is setting up a NAS?

My second question would be should we connect the NAS directly to the router or to the the switch which is connected to the router?

So here is a rundown of our current setup:

Our modem feeds our Actiontec R1000H wireless router. Our switch will have to be connected after the router (if I'm not mistaken) or else we will not have internet access. (I tried hooking up directly to the modem using an ethernet cable right to the switch, but no connection was made). So if I connect a NAS to the switch, will it be accessible remotely? Will it have a static ip?

raynon2 wrote:do we still need a static ip internet service if all we're doing is setting up a NAS?

There is no fundamental difference between a NAS and a server. A NAS is just a server in a small housing. So yes, you still need a static ip, and no, you don't.
The whole point of having a static ip is to know how to reach your server from outside. A static ip solves that problem by offering a fixed address. But there is also a solution for dynamic ip's, called DynDNS. A service (which preferably runs on your router, but it can also run on your NAS) keeps track on your ip, and as soon it changes, it's passed on to an external dns server, so you can reach to your network at something like <youraccount>.dyndns.com.

My second question would be should we connect the NAS directly to the router or to the the switch which is connected to the router?

Doesn't matter, as long as it is at the LAN side. (So not between the router and modem, the WAN side).

So if I connect a NAS to the switch, will it be accessible remotely? Will it have a static ip?

Maybe. You'll need to forward some ports in the router, to enable the services you want. (A NAS can run a whole bunch of services, all needing their own port(s))